The popular informal nickname for a Yeoman Warder — the ceremonially dressed guards stationed at the Tower of London.
The popular informal nickname for a Yeoman Warder — the ceremonially dressed guards stationed at the Tower of London. In everyday British speech, "Beefeater" is the go-to shorthand for these iconic figures in their Tudor-style red-and-gold uniforms. The term has also been exported globally via the famous Beefeater gin brand. Tourists love them; Londoners say the name with a knowing mix of pride and affection.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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(slang) A police informer.
(UK) A Yeoman Warder responsible for the feeding and welfare of the ravens of the Tower of London.
A term with multiple distinct senses: in general slang, someone with a muscular, beefy build; in farming, a cow raised for beef rather than dairy; and in British and Australian slang, a police informer. The informer sense is the sharpest and most distinctively slang. Context is essential to distinguish which meaning is intended.
Naval slang for the menu posted in a ship's wardroom listing the meals available to officers. 'Beef' as a general food term and 'chit' (the Anglo-Indian word for a slip or note used in the Royal Navy) combine to describe the written list. The term reflects the blend of naval and colonial administrative vocabulary in the British armed forces.
The Beefeater standing at the Traitor's Gate barely blinked when the tourist asked for a selfie.
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